September 30, 2014

As nice weather comes to a halt, you might tuck your motorcycle away until the next riding season. The way you store your bike greatly influences your ability to instantly hop onto it for a ride at the start of the next season. If you keep your bike out in the open, you might spend tons of time fixing damage caused by trees, animals and poor weather conditions. Think about investing in a motorcycle cover to keep your most prized possession safe from unwanted threats.

Tree Debris

There’s no doubt about it, tree sap wreaks havoc on your motorcycle’s paintjob, moving parts and fabric components. This sticky substance takes an incredible amount of time and elbow grease to remove. If you wait too long to remove the sap, you might not even be able to dislodge all of the residue. The worst part is tree sap’s ability to work its way into the moving parts, gumming up the works permanently in severe cases. Invest in a nice cover to prevent this problem altogether.

Breathable, Waterproof Motorcycle Cover with “Vent X” Venting System

Animal Intrusions

If you leave your motorcycle uncovered throughout the cold season, it might feel like everything from rodents to insects tried to make their home there. You might find remnants of beehives, spider webs and insect egg sacs under the fairings, saddle and outside of the engine. Rodents, like squirrels and rats, may have even gnawed off the rubber materials used on the seat and handlebars. When not in use, seal up your bike with a tightly fitting cover to keep these pests away.

Weather Sabotage

Rain, snow and hail all pose a serious threat to your motorcycle’s glossy, beautiful finish. Rain and snow can work their way beneath the paint to create large bubbles that pop to reveal bare metal underneath. At that point, your bike will start to rust away from that spot outward. Hail poses an even bigger threat to your bike since its harsh impacts could dent up the finish and knock paint off the frame. A cover keeps your motorcycle dry while deflecting hailstones of all sizes.

Protect Your Ride

Immediately protect your motorcycle with a cover after deciding to park it for the off-season. After all, the earlier you cover it up, the less work you will need to do to prepare it for the first ride of next season.

If you’re looking for more ways to protect your motorbike this upcoming winter, head over to DuraShield now to cover your baby!

At DuraShield, we’ve mostly written about how fabulous our covers are, how to use them with your furniture and vehicles, and provided general maintenance tips for everything that our covers can go on. But one thing we’ve realized is missing is why we’ve chosen the fabrics and materials for our covers that we have, and it’s important that you know what’s in your covers. We don’t just take a tarp, tape it together and call it a cover — our work goes far beyond that, and we want you to know exactly why our covers are as high of a quality as they are.

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ProtekX™ Plus

This heavy-duty fabric is a win all around for our covers, and provides optimal year-round protection from the elements. It’s tough, durable and breathable, and doesn’t sustain damage from bugs, the sun, dirt and other pollutants as other fabrics do. There’s also a metallic heat shield on it that helps guard against heat damage when placed close to hot exhaust pipes, like the ones on your motorcycle, golf cart, or ATV/UTV. Plus, it comes with air vents so there’s a steady airflow in and out that cuts down on moisture buildup. If too much water gets in and settles, it can cause rust on your vehicle, leading to a lot of problems down the road. You can find it in our motorcycle covers section.

ProtekX™ Extreme

This is like our ProtekX™ Plus fabric, but one step further: it’s a lot more heavy-duty for the really tough elements, and is mildew-resistant for extra guarding against moisture damage. The backing is made of an incredibly tough polyurethane blend, which means it stands up well to extreme weather and abrasion or scratching. It also comes with a no-scratch hood liner for that extra little bit of protection, and you can find it in our deluxe snowmobile covers section.

Stellex

When you browse the covers in our boats section, you’ll find Stellex. You’ll notice a theme when we say it’s a tough fabric, and that’s because Stellex is a type of polyester specially fabricated to withstand sun fade and weather shrink. It comes with a fabric-coating technology that’s resistant to mold, dirt, bugs, UV damage and mildew, but is still incredibly light and strong.

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Lunex RS™

The term “ripstop” may or may not be familiar to you, but it means a nylon fabric that’s stitched in a grid-like, cross-hatch fashion to protect against scratches, rips and tears (sort of like the parachute material you go skydiving with). There are thick threads sewn into light fabrics, which gives it a bit of a 3D texture, and is a hallmark sign of its strength and durability. It’s also really, really light, but can withstand trailering easily. You can find this in our boats section, too.

Cotton-Backed Vinyl

Cotton is a natural fabric, while vinyl is a synthetic one. Together, each fabric grabs the best of the other’s qualities and combines to make an almost superhuman material that’s strong, flexible, light and durable. You’ll see this in our tire covers section because our covers have to be able to fit a range of tire sizes, yet still provide protection to all of them. The seams are double-stitched for an added level of protection, ensuring your tires don’t see the sun at all and enjoy a bit of extra life to them.

Rain-Tite™

Not all homeowners store their patio furniture in the garage or in a carport, so it’s important that these covers are able to withstand snow and rain for months at a time, as well as not cracking when the mercury dips down really low. Our covers with this material are thick, durable and tough so snow and dirt can’t make their way in, but come with zippers so you don’t have to fight at squeezing cushions and furniture into the covers.

WeatherPro 3-Ply

Just like “ripstop”, you’ve no doubt heard of PVCs, or polyvinyl chloride. It’s a really widely-used polymer, but we’ve avoided using it in our barbecue and grill covers because of its sensitivity to weathering effects (it can get brittle and crack easily). Instead, we skipped the PVC part so it stands up well to weather, and added a special solution to resist fading. It also comes with air vents inside for excellent breathability.

It’s important to know exactly why certain fabrics are chosen for specific covers, as each one has been specially chosen and designed to best fit each need. We want to give you only the best quality covers, but more than that, we want to make the whole shopping process as easy as possible on you. This is why we have free shipping to the lower 48 states, as well as a daily sale you can always capitalize on.

Now that spring is officially here, it’s almost warm enough to take your DuraShield cover off your car, ATV, boat, motorcycle, golf cart, barbecue grill or patio furniture. But before you do, remember that one of the quickest routes to needing a new any of the above is wrecking it with flooding. Take the following precautions to make sure your valuable gear doesn’t get waterlogged, and you’ll be able to put your DuraShield cover on them again next season.

Classic Accessories OverDrive PolyPRO™ 3 Car Cover

Cars, Motorcycles, Golf Carts and ATVs/UTVs

One of the worst ways to damage a motorized vehicle is with water. The mechanical and electrical parts inside need water like a fish needs dry land, and the two should be in contact as rarely as possible. Water can very easily lead to rust, which will weaken the entire integrity of your vehicle and lead it to breaking down much sooner than it should.

Protect it at least parking it on an incline so water can do its natural thing: find the lowest space possible and spread out there instead of in your car, golf cart or ATV/UTV. On a regular basis, run your hand under the seats to check if water has crept in, take off the spare tire to check for moisture there, and, for cars, run the A/C with the windows up and sniff for mildew or mold.

Boats

It may sound silly to read about how to protect your boat from water damage precisely because they’re meant to live in water, but it’s a real risk that’s always present (especially with saltwater).

Regularly inspect the traps under the sinks, sea cocks, strainers, and holding tanks for any hiding water, and remove it as soon as possible to ensure they’re protected. These areas should stay relatively dry, and it doesn’t take much to keep them that way.

Barbecues and Grills

Your barbecue or grill should be washed regularly to avoid ashy buildup, but not draining and letting it dry properly can lead to big and expensive problems down the road. And as with vehicles, saltwater and chlorinated pool water are especially big concerns.

For ocean side grilling, try and keep the cover on as much as possible. It won’t form a perfect seal, but it’ll be pretty darn close. To complement that, regularly inspect and clean the grill, taking time to scrub off any rust that’s developed and coating it in oil to prevent more from building up.

If it’s pool party barbecuing you’re after, the chlorine can be a real killer (or bromine, if you use that instead). The biggest precaution you can take is not setting your barbecue right by the pool so the chlorine/bromine vapors have a harder time sneaking in, and repositioning the grill upwind to further combat the vapors (as well as inspecting and cleaning it regularly).

Patio Furniture

Generally, keeping patio furniture from being water damaged isn’t a problem if it’s made of plastic, only if it’s made of wood or metal. It’s also relatively easy to protect it from water damage because the form of patio furniture naturally lends itself to water running off, not collecting on the tops and sides. But you should still tilt the furniture after a heavy rainfall to avoid water collecting, and spray it a protector for that extra boost.

When it comes to whatever valuables you’ve covered in a DuraShield cover, water damage can easily undo everything the DuraShield cover has protected. Take no chances and browse our selection for the DuraShield cover that’s just right for you, and enjoy free shipping to the lower 48 states.

The recent return of the second Polar Vortex has caused temperatures to plummet drastically, which isn’t such a big deal when safely ensconced indoors. But what happens if you take a drive out far and your car breaks down—would you be ready to spend the night in really cold weather and make it out in one piece the next morning?

Before the Cold or Storm Arrives

While weather forecasts aren’t 100% reliable, they do give enough indication of impending doom and gloom, and this is your chance to do the smart thing and pre-empt it as much as possible. Start by building an emergency kit with the following items:

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1. Sand and/or Salt: Just in case you ever run into a slippery patch of snow, it’s always a good idea to have something that can provide a bit of grit and traction for your tires.

2. Snow Removal Equipment: This can be as basic as a window scraper, or as elaborate as an extra shovel and pair of boots stowed in the trunk. Snow has a way of building up very quickly, and there’s no other way of describing going out there in sneakers than to say it sucks.

3. Food: You can’t predict how long you may be stuck in your car, so stock up on 2,000 calories of non-perishable food, like granola or energy bars and trail mix. Try to choose food that’s high in protein because that’s what your muscles are made of, and they’re the things that’ll keep you warm.

4. Water: You may be able to go days and days without food, but going without water has a much shorter time limit. Make sure to stow water in plastic bottles that won’t break—don’t use glass bottles—and wrap them in blankets to minimize the chance of them freezing.

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5. Blankets: If you can obtain or afford goose-down blankets, that’s the best option for you keeping you the warmest in cold weather. Otherwise, stick to wool for its breathability or fleece for its moisture-wicking synthetic properties, and try to avoid cotton blankets. Fire blankets are also a good idea.

6. First Aid Kit: A good first aid kit has a mixture of bandaids, gauzes and wraps, antiseptic solutions or ointments, painkillers, tweezers and scissors, eye patches, thermometer, and many other items. For your car, also include a seatbelt cutter.

7. Candles and Flashlights: It gets dark awfully quickly in the winter, and with it, a tremendous loss of heat and awareness. But stocking up on candles, deep cans to hold them in, and strike-anywhere matches (stored in a waterproof container), as well as wind-up flashlights, is always a smart idea.

8. Whistle: As loud as you can yell for help, it’ll become ineffective quickly because a) the wind can overpower your voice, and b) you’ll lose your voice if you yell for help long enough. But remember the scene in Titanic where Rose used a whistle and that caught the rescuers’ attention? Whistles work.

9. Maps: There’s almost nothing better than Google Maps, but it has two fatal flaws—it needs an electric or battery-powered device to operate on, and it needs reception for GPS. On the other hand, paper maps will never run out of batteries, and you can use them in the remotest, GPS-lest locations.

Although it may be tempting to take the DuraShield cover off your golf cart, boat or motorcycle, keep it on for a little while longer until it warms up from the cold weather. Our covers are made of a breathable fabric that’ll keep the elements out, and just in case you don’t, take a look at our selection and enjoy free shipping on everything to the lower 48 states.

Just because temperatures are low doesn’t mean you have to put your motorcycle away until the tulips poke through the earth, but it does mean you have to adopt a different riding style.

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Dress in Layers

Winter is cold enough on its own, but when you add wind speeds in the double digits, it’s like taking a polar dip when the polar vortex hit. Start with base layers like long johns and a thermal shirt so they’ll both keep you warm and wick away moisture that can turn cold in a hurry. Next, add mid-layers like a wool shirt or sweater that have a higher collar than the thermal shirt so air will be trapped between the layers and heat up.

Top it off with outer gear, donning a hardshell jacket like Gore-Tex for maximum warmth and wind-blocking. Wearing Gore-Tex boots also adds breathability and waterproofing, two things important for a comfortable ride. If you find your Gore-Tex boots slip a bit, you can add grippier pegs to compensate.

Finally, pick out lobster mittens that are lined and well-insulated, a neck warmer that fits snugly between your coat and helmet, and a fog-free face shield.

Prep Your Bike

The colder the weather, the colder- and harder- the tires. And for safe driving and maximum stopping time, motorcycles need winter-appropriate tires that can handle cold temperatures. Although driving can help warm up the tires, regular ones still stay hard and translate to decreased stopping time. Your tires are two tiny patches connecting you to the ground, and skimping on ones that don’t have the proper tread and resistance is a death risk.

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Watch the Road

It’s never more crucial than in winter to see how the road actually looks. The freeze-thaw cycle causes its own havoc from the road constantly expanding and contracting, but the bigger problem is snowplows coming along and tearing up the asphalt, leaving cracks and potholes that can easily trip you up. But after every trip, make sure to clean your bike off for salt to minimize corrosion.

Keep Back

Stopping time is increased in the winter, and especially important in motorcycle because it’s uncovered. In ideal and dry conditions, it takes a good rider about 85 feet to stop at 35 mph. And with an average car measuring about 16 feet, that’s 5 car lengths…and snowy or winter weather increases that. But the faster you go, the more distance you’ll need to maintain between you and the car in front of you.

Mind the Weather

If it starts snowing or the roads are frozen, keep home. There’s almost no occasion that necessitates using your motorcycle in bad weather, and there’ll always be another day for you to take your bike out.

Whether you’ve stored your motorcycle for the winter or have tuned it up for cold-weather riding, make sure you put a DuraShield motorcycle cover on it. Our selection has something for everyone, and there’s always FREE SHIPPING to the lower 48 states.

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A motorcycle is a beautiful vehicle. It’s fast, streamlined, efficient, and lets you immerse yourself in the elements instead of just experiencing them. There’s no glass-and-metal wall that puts up a shield (pun intended!) between you and the outdoors, just the air around you. But as with any other vehicle, it’s important to keep it covered and protected so that when winter hits, you’ll have it perfectly preserved for spring.

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Checkup Checklist

There are a few physical things you’ll want to do to your motorcycle before you store it for the winter. First, take care of the gas tank by filling it, adding fuel stabilizer, and then running your motorcycle for a few minutes so the treated gas courses through the system. Keep the tank full so there’s no airspace over the winter, and conversely, less room for rust.

Next, you’ll want to wash and wax the vehicle so any autumn-time grime won’t collect and burrow into the crevices over the winter. This’ll mean just a light touch up in the spring, instead of a heavy-duty power wash that runs the risk of damaging small parts. AFter your motorcycle is clean and shiny, inflate the tires, change the oil, and lubricate the chain. Spray on rust protector once your motorcycle’s fully dry, creating a seal that’ll minimize the chances of rust and internal damage.

Where to Store

Ideally, you’ll want to keep your motorcycle in your garage as it’s cool, dry and dark- free from the winter cold and snow that can wreak havoc on your wheels. You’ll also want to keep it away from any paints or solvents because the fumes from them can corrode your motorcycle, leaving it in poor condition once the spring thaw arrives. Make sure you also lock your motorcycle, just in case. Although your garage might be locked, it’s just an extra precaution, like having a passcode for your phone.

Cover it with a Shield

DuraShield has breathable motorcycle covers that are perfect for winter storage. They allow any humidity that gathers on your machine to permeate the shield and get outside where it belongs, instead of collecting on your machine and causing rust. And with the fall motorcycle cover sale heating up, you can save a bundle. Covers start at just $19 and include free shipping. Check out DuraShield’s collection of motorcycle covers and have your machine looking good next spring.
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Unless you live in Florida or southern California, you’re probably going to store your motorcycle during the winter months. Putting your bike away is more than a matter of just parking it in a garage and tossing on a motorcycle cover; at least it is if you want a working bike next spring.

Spend an afternoon getting your motorcycle into storage condition in the fall to protect it through the winter. Start by taking the bike on one final ride. This will warm up the engine, and a warm engine is the best for changing oil and getting buildup out. When you get back from the ride, take care of your bike inside and out to protect it through the cold and damp winter weather.

Fill the gas tank, add fuel stabilizer, and run the treated gas through the system by running the bike for a few minutes

Wash and wax the motorcycle

Inflate the tires properly

Change the oil

Cover the intake/exhaust with paper bags

Lubricate the chain

Use a protectant spray to help prevent rust

Connect the battery to a battery tender

Find a dry, well-ventilated area to store your bike. Make sure it’s free of paint, solvents, and fertilizers. Fumes from these chemicals can eat paint and chrome. Lock the bike for security, even if your storage spot has a locked door. Cover the bike with a breathable motorcycle cover. Don’t use a plastic sheet. Moisture can get trapped underneath and rust out your bike.

For a great selection of breathable motorcycle cover designs, check out DuraShield. Their prices are reasonable and you’ll always get free shipping.

The road is calling you. I know you’ve heard that call quite a few times this spring and beginning of summer. The call for a long ride on your bike–a road trip. Road trips unleash the adventure we long for. Oftentimes, motorcycle road trips can be a bit of a challenge with the unknowns of packing down a 600 pound bike with clothing, your motorcycle cover, and everything else you need to bring along. Take the guesswork out of your packing routine with these tips.

Road trip ready Motorcycle Covers

Engine Airflow

Too often have we heard stories of bikers strapping down a bag or sleeping bag to their front fender. Remember that the engine needs proper airflow to keep it cool, and no one wants an overheated engine. The cooling air comes across the front fender and over the engine.

Central Mass

The CG (center of gravity) of most bikes lies near the top of the transmission case. Keep this in mind when planning to distribute weight around this point. Your want your bike to ride evenly and have a solid center of mass. Utilize saddle bags and other storage wisely and remember your CG.

Load Limits

Your bike and gear have load limits that should be observed, keeping you free from potential dangers or incorrect load placement. If you overload your bike, will it crash? Hopefully not, but it could certainly increase the chances, and it will increase stopping time.

Tire Pressure

With the increase in load, tire pressure should be increased to allow for a consistent ride. Riding on tires without enough air pressure will cause the tire to overheat and possibly come apart in transit.

Exhaust Avoidance

Keep your exhaust pipe and other ‘burn ready’ areas from contact with your saddle bags and luggage. Saddle bags can burn or become dislodged from heat exposure.

Rain Ready

Rain is inevitable for any road trip. Protect your bike with a travel motorcycle cover when you stop to eat or spend the night. A motorcycle cover will keep your bike dry and ready to ride, no matter the weather.

Adjust Handling

With the load adjustment, your handling will be different from a bike that has no additional weight. Strengthen your suspension and tighten connections.

April 2, 2013

While it used to be that the only motorcycle cover you could get your hands on was a plastic tarp, with the advance of fabric technology, now you can take your pick of breathable, weather-resistant motorcycle travel covers. In fact, some fabrics are light enough that you can fold them up into a pocket-sized case for on-board storage.

Protect your bike with a motorcycle travel cover.

Who needs a motorcycle travel cover?

If you ride your bike and park it anywhere for a period of time—such as overnight at a hotel or in the parking lot where you work—you can give your bike extra protection with a motorcycle travel cover.

If you go on motorcycle trips, you’ll definitely want to get a motorcycle travel cover. This type of cover offers your bike protection when you’re not riding but without the bulk of a full-size, lined cover.

Why use a motorcycle travel cover?

Letting your motorcycle bake in the sun without the protection of a motorcycle cover can take a toll on your bike’s color and finish. Exposure to UV rays, ozone, and urban pollution can make your bike look dingy before you know it.

The other bonus for using a travel cover is that the cover hides your motorcycle from prying eyes. If thieves can’t readily see what type of bike you own, they’ll be less likely to steal it.

What to look for in a motorcycle travel cover

When it comes to choosing a travel cover for your motorcycle, size matters. The fabric should be thin enough to fold or roll up into a compact size but still protective enough to keep out rain and condensation.

The fabric should be breathable to avoid trapping moisture underneath the cover (such as the condensation that forms as your bike cools down). Ideally, you’ll want to choose a cover with a heat-resistant shield so that you don’t have to wait for the bike to cool down before you throw the cover over it.

Most motorcycle covers come with built-in grommets so that you can secure the cover in windy conditions or thread a cable lock through the grommets to secure the cover to your bike.

Another feature that comes in handy is a stuff sack or storage bag. This makes it easier to keep your cover in a compact bundle that takes up as little space as possible in your storage.

Motorcycle Travel Cover Sale

Get ready for spring with a motorcycle travel cover for your bike! Our motorcycle covers protect against rain, moisture, and UV rays while allowing your bike to breathe. Free shipping on all orders to the lower 48 U.S.

Riding a motorcycle means taking more risks than if you were riding in a car, which is part of the draw for some riders. Risk and thrills are part of the fun, but you also need to think about safety if you want to make it home safe and sound.

Here are a few motorcycle safety tips to keep in mind this riding season:

1. Take a motorcycle safety course.

Even if your state doesn’t require it, taking a safety course should be a no-brainer. Riding a motorcycle requires certain skills that you’ll want to practice in a controlled environment before you test them out on the road. Learning how to ride safely is worth the time and money you’ll invest upfront. It could save your life down the road.

2. Know your limits.

If your friends push you to ride faster or farther than you’re comfortable with, learn how to say no. Respect your limits, for your own sake and for the sake of those with you.

Don’t take a passenger before you’re ready, and start out giving rides to a skilled rider rather than a newbie. They’ll be less likely to move around, lean the wrong way, or make sudden moves.

3. Watch the weather.

Riding a motorcycle is risky in bad weather. With only two wheels, you have less traction than a car, and wet or icy pavement can make handling your motorcycle difficult. Avoid riding your motorcycle if rain, snow, ice, fog, or other potentially dangerous conditions are in the forecast.

4. Wear protective gear.

While you can’t always prevent accidents from happening, you can take extra precautions to prevent injury. Wear a helmet, boots, and protective riding gear when you’re out on your motorcycle. Leave the shorts and flip flops at home.

Protective gear can protect you from asphalt burns in case you lose control and need to lay the bike down. It also protects you from exhaust and engine heat, rocks kicked up by the vehicles around you, and other road hazards.

5. Look twice.

Don’t assume other drivers will see you. Look twice before changing lanes or merging into traffic. Check your blind spot for cars and motorcycles. Drive defensively, and take responsibility for your own safety.